Local travel here in Ghana is an amazing adventure, trust me. But as adventurous as you may be, I know these tips, tricks and hacks will come in handy anytime you are out and about:
- Ask Locals for directions: Nobody knows the place better than the natives of the town, not even Google map. It’s advisable to enquire from people around since they are more familiar with the surroundings.
- Try local foods as much as possible: Here in Ghana, there are particular foods peculiar to particular people. If you happen to be in a different region either than where you’re used to, try as much as possible to eat their foods. I know it’s easy to find these foods anywhere but it won’t taste as good as their people will make it.
- Speak the local languages: In as much as Ghanaians are hospitable and all, there is some sense of friendship and familiarity that comes with meeting someone you can communicate with, in a common local dialect. Speaking one’s local language automatically makes you family. It is not easy learning someone else’s language too. I’ll advise you learn a few phrases and sentences as and when you are visiting a place so you can get around town easily.
- Travel on weekdays: Tourist sites and attractions usually charge higher rates for entry during weekends and holidays. This is because people tend to visit these places more when they are less busy. It’s therefore advisable to visit these places on weekdays.
- Carry extra cash on you: There are some areas in Ghana where you would get access to an ATM or can’t use your credit cards for payment. You should therefore carry extra cash just in case you’ll need to spend more than intended.
- Keep an emergency contact on you: Keep in your purse, backpack or handbag the name and contact information of any friend or family who can be of help if anything should happen to you. It should be clearly written and not too difficult to find in your purse. Make sure it’s not too far from reach, for your own safety.
- Avoid traveling at night: Still on your safety, if you are solo traveling or in a new environment for a while, it’s better not to move around at night. Travellers and foreigners are mostly targets for robbers. Avoid, at all cost moving in and around the community at night.
- Share your location with friends and family: If you happen to be touring and sight seeing, do well to share your location with your friends and family. You should also update them as and when you move from one tourist site to the other. Just in case they don’t get another update, they know where last you were.
- Keep your camera close: You owe yourself a memorable trip so do well to take all the pictures you can. Ghanaians love to pose for the camera, so politely ask if you want to take pictures of other people going about their daily business or a busy streetscape. Focus your camera and click as many beautiful scenes as you can find.
- Everyday is your birthday: This is a trick I just discovered and haven’t even used yet. You definitely get special treatment and gifts sometimes, mostly in hotels, when you tell them it’s your birthday. So try this but please don’t abuse it else they will know our trick.
Let’s continue exploring Ghana together and let’s stay safe.🇬🇭♥️♥️
Adventure with Ewurabena 